Throwing An Inclusive Birthday Party For A Child With ADHD
Jenny Holt, a freelance health writer for a number of health sites and magazines
sent us the following articles to share them with our readers.
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SAFEGUARD YOUR CHILD’S LUNGS BY ASTHMA-PROOFING THEIR BEDROOM
THE IDEAL ENVIRONMENT FOR YOUR HOMESCHOOLED CHILD
THE IMPORTANCE OF RESPONSIBILITY AND HOW TO TEACH IT TO YOUR CHILDREN
EDUCATING KIDS ABOUT ORTHODONTICS
DEALING WITH CHILDHOOD CANCER DIAGNOSIS IN YOUR SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD
HOW TO BUILD CHILDREN’S CONFIDENCE BY TEACHING THEM CLOTHES MAKING
HOW TO INTRODUCE MEDITATION TO YOUR KIDS
GETTING YOUR CHILD INVOLVED IN A PENPAL PROGRAM
Thanks Jenny!
Throwing An Inclusive Birthday Party For A Child With ADHD
Birthday parties can be overstimulating and overwhelming for any child, particularly for someone with ADHD, which includes approximately 6.1 million American children. It’s important that children with ADHD aren’t left out and have birthday parties thrown for them so that they can experience and understand them. Some adjustments should be made to help things go smoothly and increase the chance of the party being fun and successful for both you, your child and your guests, such as going over the party plan beforehand and role playing how social situations may go.
Get your child involved in the planning
One thing a child with ADHD will not enjoy is a surprise party. They’ll prefer the complete opposite where they’ve been involved in every detail of the planning, understand the party’s schedule and have a sense of order and familiarity. In fact, many studies show that children with ADHD will thrive in an environment that revolves around familiarity and consistency. Throwing a party at your home or somewhere that they’re used to is the best option. Let your child help to decide who is invited, what time the party will be, what will happen at the party and all the other details.
Picking the perfect presents
Presents are a normal part of a party, but some gifts may be too stimulating for your child and the process of receiving and opening presents can become overwhelming. You could write a list of gift ideas for other parents to get your child and advise of things that wouldn’t be a good idea. There are toys and games that are specifically designed for children with ADHD, but simple things like Play-Doh and coloring books are a good option too. You could even suggest that writing nice and thoughtful things in a card, like a poem or what your child’s friend likes about them, would be appreciated as this won’t overstimulate them and can help with socializing. It may also be a good idea to open presents after the party once people have left so that there’s no pressure on your child and they can open them at a pace that is comfortable for them.
Know your limits
Most parents want to invite their child’s whole class to a party, but for a child with ADHD, too many people can be overwhelming. Children with ADHD are very likely to have problems socializing, particularly when they’re in large groups, according to ADDitude, and your child will probably find it easier to socialize and enjoy themselves if there are less people, plus you’ll be able to keep an eye on things better too. You should also keep the party relatively short, ideally a couple of hours, as children with ADHD can become overstimulated and overwhelmed if too much is going on for too long, which can lead to them acting out or getting angry with themselves out of frustration.
Throwing a party for a child with ADHD is important as they can help them to socialize, but parties should be adapted to what suits your child and play to their strengths. Throwing a party where the guest list is small and they all know and understand your child is the best way to ensure your child has a fun party.
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